Things were much simpler in 1974. Most homes had their doors unlocked, allowing neighbors, friends and family to simply walk in and announce their presence. Prices on staple items were affordable for the middle-class family. For example, gasoline was 53 cents a gallon, bread 28 cents a loaf, milk $1.57 a gallon, eggs ranged from 23 to 73 cents a dozen depending on the size and the price of a new car was $3,500. Unfortunately, as much as we would like, we can’t live in the past, only relive it at times. It’s history, as they say, which we read about in books.
Fast forward 50 years and the Acrisure Stadium sellout crowd was able to revisit sports history on a slightly chilly October night in Pittsburgh.
During halftime of the Sunday night Steelers vs. Jets contest on Oct. 20, some heroes from the past assembled on the stadium grass to reclaim the spotlight. In single-file fashion the 1974 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers exited the stadium tunnel to a thunderous standing ovation.
Clad in the iconic black and gold jerseys complete with their block numbers and names, the men of football past marched onward. The years have caught up with them as some needed the assistance of convalescent aids to amble around. We can all thank Art Rooney Sr. for this memorable night.
Rooney Sr. bought the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise, originally called the Pirates, on July 8, 1933, for $2,500. He later renamed the team the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1940. His goal was simple: establish a quality product, a winner that people will want to see week after week. The task seemed daunting, at times viewed as unattainable; however, with the resilience of a tough steelworker the Rooney family forged ahead. It was indeed a shame that it took so long to achieve the level of greatness and winning we have grown accustomed to.
Winning efforts were few and far between before the Rooneys formulated a plan to turn the franchise around. Rooney Sr. once told his family and office staff, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” according to his son Art Rooney Jr.
In the 1968 NFL Draft they selected, in the 16th round, a fierce running back and offensive captain out of Notre Dame, Rocky Bleier. Remember that the draft was 17 rounds, unlike today’s draft format of seven rounds. We all know the eventual story of Bleier and his greatness as a war hero and football hero.
January 1969 saw Rooney hire the club’s 14th head coach, Chuck Noll, to get the Steelers ship back on course.
In the first round of the 1969 draft, Pittsburgh selected Joe Greene, a mean, tough as nails defensive tackle. Added to the ‘69 roster were quarterback Terry Hanratty (second round), offensive tackle Jon Kolb (third round) and defensive lineman L.C. Greenwood (10th round). Continuing the rebuilding process in the 1970 draft, Pittsburgh saw its talent level rise another notch. Right out of the gate the Steelers grabbed quarterback Terry Bradshaw with the first pick in the first round and defensive back Mel Blount in the third.
The 1971 draft brought many notable names to the Steel City beginning with first-rounder Frank Lewis. Jack Ham, out of Linebacker U. (aka Penn State) was a second-round pick. Gerry Mullins and Dwight White were selected as double fourth-round picks. In the fifth, it was Larry Brown. Ernie Holmes was selected in the eighth and Mike Wagner was chosen in the 11th. In 1972 Franco Harris was snagged in round one as the Steelers’ first pick along with J.T. Thomas in 1973.
The Steelers got a small taste of winning in the 1972 and ‘73 seasons, making the playoffs both years, but still wanting more.
Stepping back to 1966 the Steelers made perhaps their greatest front office hire in club history by offering Bill Nunn Jr. a part-time position in the scouting department. Nunn was the sports editor/managing editor of the Pittsburgh Courier, the largest Black newspaper at its peak during the mid-20th century, with a wide national circulation.
Nunn possessed a sharp business and football mind to complement a keen eye for natural athletic ability, especially focusing on small colleges. In 1970 he was promoted to the position of assistant director of player personnel. Scout and personnel executive were the positions Nunn held until his death in 2014. Credit was given to Nunn for scouting three small college players and persuading Art Rooney Jr., the team’s lead scout, they would all be valuable assets to the team.
The 1974 draft was the mainstay of putting together a winning football team by strengthening both offensive and defensive units. In that first round with the 21st pick the Steelers selected Lynn Swann from USC. They grabbed Jack Lambert in Round 2. Round 4 gave them two picks and they snagged John Stallworth and Jimmy Allen. The team’s fifth-round pick, center Mike Webster, was tabbed to be the backup to the aging Ray Mansfield.
Perhaps the final piece to that year’s draft — thanks to Nunn — was the addition of an undrafted linebacker who was signed to the club. Donnie Shell entered the fold after 26 teams, including the Steelers, took 442 other players, questioning Shell’s ability to play at the highest level. Nunn, however, saw something different as he advocated for Shell to Art Rooney Jr., who asked, “What are we going to do with him?” Nunn replied, “Move him to safety.” Furthermore, the undrafted Shell was set to sign with Denver until his college coach informed that he was signing with Pittsburgh.
Credit once again to Nunn. The rest, we know, is history. It’s been reported that through his contacts with small college coaches, Nunn reportedly had the only copy of game film on Stallworth. He was told to share it with the rest of the league, but rumor has it that it never made it to any other club.
Many football historians and experts have labeled the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 1974 draft as the greatest single draft in NFL history. Extremely difficult to argue that point — how and why would you? Not only did they win the first Super Bowl in franchise history for “The Chief,” but they went on to capture three more titles in six years. The ‘70s Steelers were named the Team of The Decade. Rooney Sr. was once asked by the NFL if his team would like to be labeled “America’s Team.” He simply replied, “No, we’re the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
The Steelers of the ‘70s sent 12 individuals for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Noll, Nunn and 10 players from that decade — Greene, Bradshaw, Blount, Harris, Ham, Lambert, Swann, Stallworth, Webster and Shell – all eventually earned their Gold Jackets. All rewarded, all deserving of such a prestigious honor.
Those teams of that decade were certainly something special, each in its own way. “The Emperor,” “Steel Curtain,” “Old Ranger,” “Blonde Bomber,” “Jack Splat” and a host of other nicknames are forever etched in our minds.
Watching them play then and seeing them 50 years later leads us to wonder where have all the years gone? Seems like only yesterday when they were young and vibrant, agile and fleet of foot. Nonetheless we will always have the memories of the first Steeler team to win a Super Bowl and captivate not only a city and state, but the entire football world.
The Oct. 20 halftime show was truly a blast from the past.
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